Morgan County tennis teams seeing success

Morgan County’s tennis teams have both done well this season in the wake of a new era for the program.

That’s an impressive accomplishment for the teams and first-year head coach Conner Perry, who was previously the head coach at the middle school for the last two years. Perry has seen each team take huge strides since the start of the season and is proud of the progress made.

“It’s going pretty well. We’ve remained undefeated through region play, so that’s been awesome,” Perry said. “Scheduling some tougher non-region matches has helped us prepare for the region tournament this year.”

Morgan County’s boys’ and girls’ tennis teams have faced powerhouses such as North Oconee, Prince Avenue Christian, Athens Academy, and Lake Oconee Academy this season and faired well.

Those difficult non-region matchups helped fine-tune things for the Dogs and Lady Dogs.

Morgan County’s boys have the potential to make a deep run in the state tournament. The Dogs are young but their first-year head coach believes they have the right pieces to succeed in the playoffs.

Senior Jackson Kirby is a leader for Morgan County’s boys and is the team’s No. 1 singles player. The College of Charleston tennis commit has been on a roll and has a solid overall record this year.

“He’s been our ace in the hole as our No. 1 singles player. He is a really good player as well” Perry said. “He’s a tremendous leader and has done a great job of cheering on his teammates this year.”

Other players such as junior Tommy Arthur and freshman Aiden West have also made a difference. Both are singles players behind Kirby and have carried their weight for Morgan County.

The boys’ doubles teams have also been consistent this year. The No. 1 team of Leyton Hull and Reese Freyer and the No. 2 squad of Charlie Martin and Charlie Arnold have competed at a high level.

“Both of our guys’ doubles groups have gelled this season. They all work well together,” Perry added. “That’s been awesome to have. They all have good chemistry, so that’s been helpful.”

Perry sees the same potential for the girls’ team as he does for the boys. The coach hopes the Lady Dogs can make a deep postseason run and it helps they will host in the first round of the playoffs.

Eleventh-grader Mallory Martin leads the charge for Morgan County’s girls. Martin has progressed throughout the year and moved up from the No. 1 doubles team to the No. 1 singles spot.

“She’s a really strong player, so we had to move her up to singles,” Perry said of Martin. “She’s held her own, and the move has been great for us. It’s been awesome to have her step up like that.”

Senior Addison Boyer, the Lady Dogs’ No. 2 singles player, has been a winner on the court. She’s embraced her role as a leader and supported her teammates through adversity this year.

Madisyn Cannington, a sophomore and the team’s No. 3 singles player, is another strong competitor. The Lady Dogs have established a strong core, rounded out with doubles player Erin Gresham. Katie Davis, Banessa Santoyo, and Lysaa Schaeffer also all contribute in their way.

“We’ve got a strong core group on our girls’ team,” Perry said. “They get along and play well as a unit.”

Morgan County’s teams traveled to Augusta earlier this week hoping to bring home two region championships. The Dogs and Lady Dogs will take some time off before closing out the regular season next week. Their goals are also still in front of them as the Class 3A postseason will begin shortly.

“Our goals are a little different for the boys and girls, which is a good thing. They each want to keep playing and that’s the end goal,” Perry said. “In the state playoffs, you win and keep playing. If you lose, your season is over. We’re going to try to stay alive and stay together as long as we can.”